Abstract

This paper reports research into the question: what kind of trained teacher emerges from the initial teacher training system and what areas and aspects of training do graduating student teachers value the most and the least? Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, this paper explores exiting trainees' experiences of training and the curriculum as it is delivered and what they value. Also, in an attempt to understand the instructional practices in the colleges, tutors' lessons were observed and followed by interviews. The main findings were as follows. Despite a range of practices used by tutors, the model of teaching is fundamentally one of transmission. Copying notes and taking exams are central to the learning experience. Tutors felt trainees' content knowledge was weak. There was a general lack of engagement with practical learning experiences and contextualised learning in general. The paper suggests that there is a need for tutors to have more relevant professional development, make use of a wider repertoire of resources and make more use of teaching practice, which is the most valued part of training from trainees' perspective. In general, supervision of teaching practice was primarily understood in terms of the application of methods rather than an opportunity for problematising and contextualising teaching. In this context the attempt to introduce child-centred approaches to teaching needs careful consideration.